Frances Carol VanArsdall's Obituary
Frances Carol VanArsdall
Frances Carol VanArsdall went home to her Lord Jesus on May 11, 2016 following a short illness. Frances was the second of three children born to Daisy Mae Coffey and Henry James Thompson. She was born at home in Salem, Oregon on January 9, 1933. When she was a young child, her parents operated fruit and vegetable stands in the Willamette Valley. The family also picked seasonal fruit and vegetables in numerous locations. Because they moved often, she attended over two dozen grade schools during her first few years of school. Unfortunately, her parents divorced when she was ten years old. She moved with her mother, older sister, Barbara, and younger brother, Jim, to the Tacoma, Washington area in 1943 to live with her Aunt Nora Ellis. Her mother, Daisy, was a nurse and found a job working at a Tubercular Sanatorium. She and her siblings were boarded at the TB Sanatorium while her mother was employed there. When she was eleven the family moved to the Lakeview area in what is now Lakewood, Washington. It was then that she met a neighborhood high school boy named George VanArsdall who was five years older than her. She had no idea that four years from that initial meeting George would set his sights on her and persistently pursue her hand in marriage. He convinced her and they were married on Valentine’s Day in 1949 just five weeks after she turned sixteen. She was the center of his world for 53 years until he preceded her in death in 2002. They were truly a witness of God’s design for marriage – “and the two will become one.” Their first child, Georgette, arrived nine and a half months after they were married. Doug followed two and a half years later in 1952. The big surprise was the arrival of a baby girl, Barbara, fourteen years later in 1966. Instead of growing older, the birth of another child later in life restored their youthfulness. A few years before Frances married George her mother, Daisy, remarried. As a result Frances was blessed with another brother, Frank, and sister, Karen, from her mother’s second marriage. Sadly, her mother passed away from cancer in 1959. Frances became the legal guardian for her younger sister, Karen, who was eight at the time and raised her along with her own children. Frances was very close to her sister, Barbara, who was two years older. They never lived more than a couple of blocks apart as adults. They raised their families together and cherished each other’s company. Frances lost her beloved sister, Barbara, to cancer in 1986. Frances was a dedicated homemaker. She always kept a welcoming, clean, comfortable home where family and friends came often to visit over a cup of coffee or tea. She hosted many Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and birthday parties throughout the years. She was an active member of the Lakeview Congregational Church for 65 years participating in many different ministries over that time. In her younger years Frances enjoyed river fishing, bowling, spending weekends at Summit Lake, and taking many different community class offerings. She worked with pottery, experimented with oil painting, learned to play the guitar, studied computer programming, and even took a massage therapy class. She participated in Democratic Caucuses’, was active in the PTA, and traveled up and down the West Coast by Winnebago, car, bus and train. She and George enjoyed going to Reno, exploring the wine country, and visiting San Diego, Disneyland, and the Oregon and Washington coasts. They also took many trips to Canada to visit Karen and her family. As she aged her main two activities became reading and praying for her family and friends. Three and a half years ago she moved from the home she had shared with George to the Bridgeport Place Assisted Living facility. She thoroughly enjoyed living there and made many friends during that time. Frances was a sweet, caring, friendly, loyal, smart, intuitive, direct, funny and beautiful person through and through. Her encouraging words, loving advice, and constant prayers will be missed by all who knew her. She is survived by her three children, Georgette Nunez (Don) of Lakewood, Douglas VanArsdall (Colleen) of Lakewood, Barbara Tainter (John) of University Place, her younger sister, Karen Newton-Jones (Gordon) of Kelowna, Canada, eleven grandchildren: Patrick, Steven, Eric, Brock, Krista, Jolene, Tara, Shelby, Paige, Sarah, and Adam; and seven great grandchildren: Cole, Brynn, Daisy, Lucas, Kole, Ryan, and Declan. Frances lived her life with a heart full of love and having departed this life, she stepped into eternity where love is all that matters. Funeral Services will be held at Mountain View Funeral Home in the Garden Chapel in Lakewood, Friday, June 10, 2016, 2 pm. Memorial gifts in Frances’ memory may be gifted to: Christ Lutheran Memorial Fund.
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